Stuck woman traps 22 tourists in cave

[Wayne Harrison]

Stuck woman traps SA cave group

An overweight woman who got stuck in a South African cave trapped 22 fellow tourists for more than 10 hours and had to be prised free with liquid paraffin.

The woman became trapped in the Tunnel of Love obstacle in the Cango Caves in Western Cape on New Year's Day.

The caves' manager said the woman had been warned she might not be suitable but she insisted on trying.

One of those trapped was a diabetic who had to be brought insulin. The woman and the other tourists were unhurt.

The rescue operation involved several ambulance teams and a helicopter.

<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6225301.stm">Full Story on BBC</a>

[Cheryl Jones]

You know, when I visited Cango Caves back in the 80s, I was surprised at how much of the tourist trip was not on "tame" pathways, but instead required "wild" caving skills. So, for example, women were caving in dresses and street shoes with low heels through squeezes and on slippery, rocky trails.

At the time I realized how I easily I could become trapped in the cave, even in one of the long narrow canyon squeezes or crawlways, if someone was to get stuck or have a panic attack in one of the narrow spots, or have an accident in one of the small passages. It was a scary thought.

Cheryl

[Squirrel Girl]

Yeah, Cheryl, and you're so fat, too.

[Cheryl Jones]

But too big to get around someone who has pretty much filled the passage!!

As with the woman in the article, on the whole people in cave really didn't have a clue what they were getting in to. On my way out I did encounter someone having a panic and claustrophobia attack, telling companions she couldn't carry on or traverse back through the passage to get out....Fortunately the passage wasn't very narrow at that point and I slipped on by.

The caving trip was so bizarre that it was quite a memorable experience...especially for a commercial cave!

But it did earn me the Caveman Certificate I have hanging on my wall, which says that I have
"qualified as a Caveman, having grunted and groaned along the prescribed route of the Cango Caves at Oudtshoorn, with complete disregard for the Kilograms and Centimetres shed in the process and at all times displaying enthusiasm and determination above and beyond the call of duty!"


Cheryl

[Cheryl Jones]

As posted by Hewhocaves in the caving in the news section,
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070102/od ... 0102115418

Loved this line
"We regularly have people getting stuck in the caves for an hour or so, but never anything on this scale," said Gerstner.

[hewhocaves]

is it wrong to point out that she's so large she takes up two forums?

ah. I see... it is.

BTW... who uses paraffin to unstick people underground?